Trespassing on gentleman’s grounds
Adventure photographer Dan Brown and I follow Thoreau’s footprints along Cape Cod’s privatized coastline. | Mountain Gazette issue 203 (print only!)
The rocky future of the AMC huts
In my 20s, I worked in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s backcountry huts. Now they face higher prices and competition. | Boston Globe Magazine
Are you ready for a Night Hike?
Hiking with friends and strangers in city green spaces after dark can be surprisingly joyful; especially during the winter. | The Boston Globe
Going deep on New England’s great lakes
Some of the most heavenly lakes of New Engand are strangely overlooked. I took a traveler’s dive into Willoughby and Moosehead. | Boston Magazine
Hike an Instant Urban Trail, and then build one
Hikers in cities around the world are creating their own cross-town trails through the art of curation. Here’s how to hike or build one. | Outside
Walking Boston’s strange 90-mile perimeter
By law, Massachusetts cities and towns are still required to walk their perimeters. So I decided to do it myself in Boston. | The Boston Globe
Pittsburgh—the city of steps
There are over 700 staircases nestled in the wooded hills of Pittsburgh, and many of them lead to incredible city overlooks. | National Geographic
How to create more swimming holes
As summers grow hotter and deadlier, Massachusetts is experiencing a shortage of public venues. We need to create more. | The Boston Globe
A field guide to public transit adventuring
In Greater Boston, you don’t need a car to experience the rustic beauty of the outdoors. Here, trains and buses can still take you places. | WBUR
A long walk across Prince Edward Island
The new PEI Island Walk trail offers an incredible foot journey around Canada’s mythic island, with many treats along the way. | Dwell
America’s next National Park should be….?
The U.S. is due to create a new National Park soon. Here are seven outdoor destionations considered to be serious contenders. | National Geographic
A ramble in the city
Photographer Dan Brown and I challenged ourselves to thru-hike across Boston’s parks and woods. | Mountain Gazette issue 199 (print only!)
A Bostonian’s guide to the White Mountains
For White Mountain first-timers and return visitors alike, I wrote a notch by notch guide to hiking and dining in the region. | Boston Magazine
Open the beaches to everyone…with buses
Massachusetts has one of the most restricted coast lines in America. Here’s how creative use of public transit could change that. | The Boston Globe
Taking the High Road
How a new path through the Berkshires brings the “walking holiday” to America, while expanding community access to trails | Lonely Planet
Boston’s hidden world of urban trails
Discover nine beautiful urban hikes across Boston that show how you can go for a terrific ramble in the middle of a major city. | Boston Magazine
New England Road Trip Deep Cuts
Following the release of my latest book, Moon New England Road Trip, I’ve been writing a series of recurring road trip itineraries. | Boston Magazine
Why I founded the Walking City Trail
A reflective essay about how and why I designed a 25-mile hiking trail across Boston’s parks and urban wilds. | WBUR
Set the underground rivers free
Why American cities are digging up and “daylighting” their subterranean waterways. | The Boston Globe
Walking Olmsted’s revolutionary crown jewel
How Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace shaped our conception of what shared green spaces can do for cities. | National Geographic
The strange beauty of Mud Season hiking
Mud Season is a messy rejuvenation of the natural world. It also poses some unique dangers to hikers. | National Geographic
A journey into California’s waterfall capital
The quiet Shasta-Cascade region of Northern California has a fiery volcanic history and an abundance of ethereal waterfalls. | National Geographic
Snowshoeing through the apocalypse
In the midst of the pandemic, hours before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, I went snowshoeing in far northern New Hampshire. | Washington Post
How will state parks survive 2020?
Natural disasters, budget austerity, and the COVID-19 pandemic are hurting America’s affordable and accessible state parks. | National Geographic
A grueling year for search-and-rescue crews
As hiking soared in popularity across America, mid-pandemic, several mountainous regions saw more accidents and deaths. | AMC Outdoors
Social distancing in the Great North Woods
Most travelers never venture to the northern edge of New Hampshire, which lends these highlands sublime quietude. | Boston Magazine
How to scout a safe bathroom, mid-pandemic
Camping or hosteling during the pandemic? Nature calling? The safest public restroom options might surprise you. | Washington Post
Closing parks is pandemic safety theater
Shutting down parks won’t slow the spread of COVID-19. But it will hurt the communities that have been most impacted by the virus. | WBUR
COVID-19 raises the stakes for rescue crews
As more hikers venture into the outdoors, search-and-rescue volunteers are bracing for new challenges and hazards. | Washington Post
“Stay low” with easier yet enchanting hikes
Save the riskier hikes for after the pandemic and enjoy the splendor of the White Mountains with these gentler, unsung hikes. | The Boston Globe
Is it ethical to go hiking during a pandemic?
As trails open back up for summer, should hikers hit the road for far-flung mountains or stick closer to their respective locales? | National Geographic
Chasing waterfalls during the spring thaw
Waterfalls are at their most thunderous during spring, as snowmelt causes New England’s rivers and reservoirs to overflow. | Boston Magazine
The surprising solidarity of hiking
Often thought of as a sport of rugged individualism, hiking is actually built on a special kind of community that manifests outdoors. | WBUR
New Hampshire’s “secret” tallest waterfall
The biggest waterfall in the Granite State is a seasonal wonder that only appears a few times each year. So I went looking for it. | The Boston Globe
In the heat of the moment, you can get very sick
While visiting Baxter State Park in summer, I experienced clinical heat exhaustion and lived to tell the tale. It wasn’t pretty. | The Boston Globe
Exile to Lonesome Lake Hut
Quitting a newspaper job to become a backcountry lodge caretaker is the sort of thing that most people would consider insane. | The Boston Phoenix